6 ronin
by themainman
Summary: The individual stories of 6 warriors who will eventually come together to protect the weak of feudal Equestria. Anthro fic read and enjoy.
1. Lone pony

Calestia sat fanning herself and watching the sun move into place. When the sun was right were she liked it she closed her fan and looked out over the execution block. She watched as one of her generals, or rather former generals, slipped off his white kimono.

Behind him Calestias head executioner and personal student Twilight sparkle prepared her sword. The general kowtowed with his forehead touched to the ground. "Lady Calestia hime-sama please look upon my death!" He called to the stoic faced princess who twirled her fan in her fingers. "Proceed." She stated opening the fan and covering her mouth.

The general sat back up and took the short blade in his hand; pausing for a moment to look out the corner of his eye to see Twilight with her sword poised and at the ready. He took a few deep short breaths before driving the blade into his stomach and dragging it across. He held in his wheezing screams as he pulled out the blade. He stabbed himself again and repeated the dragging action.

Twilight raised her sword up letting out a scream as she brought her steel down decapitating the dying samurai. Twilight cleaned her sword and prayed for the soul of the warrior she just had the honor of aiding to his death.

As she made her way up onto the walk way to leave the execution block she passed the samurai who followed the late general and heard their whispers. "How were our lords conspiracies uncovered?" One asked. "I'll bet it was that Shining armor that did it." Another answered causing the others to agree. "He has been a hindrance to our clan long enough, it's time he was dealt with." One whispered but not low enough, Twilight stopped in her tacks.

"What was that?!" She drew her sword; the others grasp their hilts ready to duel Twilight. "Are you sure you're ready for this, we're not on our knees bleeding like most of those you've killed." Twilight confidently raised her sword and calmly said, "Oh don't worry you soon will be."

"My my, what goes on here?" They all looked over to see Calestia coming down the walk way. They all went into a bow, "Good afternoon Calestia hime-sama," they all said in unison. "Yes yes." She turned to the other samurai. "Shouldn't you men be arranging your masters funeral?" She removed a few pieces of gold from her sash and tossed it to one of the men. "Make his funeral as good as his death."

She then turned to Twilight, "Come walk with me and you can put your dotanuki away, hopefully you won't have much use for it in the garden." Twilight put away her weapon and followed Calestia through the castle.

Twilight began to speak but Calestia stopped her. "Wait for it." She said pointing over her shoulder at the three samurai still in ear shot. When finally they reached the garden Calestia spoke, "You know I didn't teach you the sword so that you could go spilling blood in my nice clean castle."

Twilight looked down she knew she had to use just the right words when conversing with the princess. Her wise philosophy filled speech meant that one had to really think about their words before speaking. "Sensei, I believe that there is a great conspiracy at work and those three retainers back there are part of it."

Calestia seem to be ignoring her, sniffing a flower she picked before placing it in her sash. "Show me the evidence you have gathered against them." She finally turned to her student. "You do have evidence don't you?" Twilight lowered her head, "well no but I just know it."

Calestia tapped her on the top of the head with her fan. "So you only have intuition no hard proof?" "But…" Calestia hit her again, "How would it look if I just persecuted ponies based off of hearsay?"

Calestia took the gourd tied to her wrist and took a drink from it. "I have ponies investigating the late generals supporters, I'll deal with my enemies accordingly; here drink." She handed the gourd to her student who reluctantly took it.

"Sensei you know I don't drink sake." Twilight took a sniff of the wine and winced. This caused Calestia to cover her mouth with her sleeve and giggle. "Well drinking is my favorite pass time so, if you wish to continue being my retainer, you'll make it yours as well."

Twilight wished to argue farther but Calestia raised her fan causing her to hastily drink. Twilight felt fire burn her throat and stomach as the sake went down. "Good now return home and no more talk of this leave it to me, you have a child to worry about."

Calestia took back her sake and continued to stroll about the garden as Twilight made her way back to her own home on the palace grounds. Once in the door she slipped off her geta and removed her dotanuki before continuing farther in.

"Ah, Twilight-san, welcome home." Her only servant greeted her holding a toddler in her arms. "Hello cinnamon blossom, how was Spike today?" Cinnamon put Spike down and let him run to his mother. Twilight picked up the four year old dragon. "He's been an angel, so well behaved." Twilight nuzzled and kissed the infant in her arms.

"Come Twilight-san, I have dinner already prepared." As Twilight sat down to her meal across town a meeting was taking place. The members of the shadow clan met in a dimly lit room with their new leader cloaked in the shadows of the room.

"Our former leader Dusk shadow was executed today but despite that we must move foreword with our plans." There was a moment of silence before somepony spoke. "How, we are now under investigation, if they unravel the treads now the whole thing will fall apart." From out of the shadows the answer to this question came. "We need to draw this away from us; Calestia hime-sama is very wise and doesn't truly trust anypony."

A hand came out the shadow and in its grasp was a note. "This is a detailed confession of our clans activates; have some of our more disposable ponies hand deliver this to the palace." One of the men took it and ran to get it delivered. "Now have our best fighters ready for what's next."

Twilight was fast asleep with Spike next to her when a loud yelling woke her up. Twilight opened her eyes, slowly got to her feet, and took up her sword. Whoever was making this noise was about to feel her full wrath.

When she answered her door she saw Luna hime-sama, the sister of her sensei and special investigator, and several samurai of the shadow clan. What most alarmed Twilight was that these men didn't wear top coats and had their sleeves tied up, they wanted a fight. Twilight bowed and asked, "Most honorable Luna hime-sama, to what do I owe this honor?"

Luna removed a blood covered note form inside her lapels. "Twilight-san, this confession was hand delivered to the palace, the men who delivered it begged forgiveness then committed suicide."

She opened the note and showed it to Twilight. "According to it there is a great conspiracy at work with you at its head." She folded the note back up and put it away. "Twilight I must place you under arrest, please surrender your sword."

The samurai behind Luna drew their swords and Luna stepped out of their way. "I don't wish to shed any blood so I'll surrender." Twilight reached for her sword to remove it when out the corner of her eye she saw the fighter closest to her twitch and his sword move. She quickly drew her sword and slashed through both his sword and his neck. A cry of "you bastard" came when his headless body hit the ground.

The other swordsmen began to make a move but Luna stopped them. "She is beyond your skill, attacking her will just be throwing your lives away." Luna stepped up to Twilight. "My sister and I believe in your innocence but this is some damning evidence please surrender."

Twilight looked upon the samurai gathered at her door and read their bodies; she instantly knew that if she gave up her sword then that would be it for her. So she took a breath and proclaimed "NO!" as she swung at Luna who jumped back a good yard to dodge. "Take her!" She commanded as Twilight was rushed.

She fell back into her house using the hallway to keep her enemies in a straight line. She disemboweled the first in the line and push the second one into the rest of them. She turned and ran to her room grabbing up Spike. When one of the swordsmen came into the room she slashed clean through his legs; he hit the ground screaming in agony.

She was down to three assailants and even holding Spike under one arm her skill still far surpassed her opponents. She gave one of them two slashes across his chest, he hit the wall and tried to get back to his feet but still fell sputtering to the ground.

Twilight dared the last two to attack, they just looked at each other and panicked. They turned to run and Twilight slashed and stabbed one in his back. The other almost got out the door but when he tried to pass Luna her black bladed katana cleaved clean through him. "How dishonorable, running away like that."

Luna beckoned Twilight to come outside. The sun was beginning to rise when the two stepped out onto the street. "You know Twilight sparkle, I've wanted to duel you for quite some time now but my sister forbade it." She stated raising her sword over her head going into a high stance.

"Maybe you should put him down." Twilight kept a tight grip on her son. "He is the son of a samurai, he was born with death hanging over his head." Luna had the raising sun to her back making it hard for Twilight to see her but Spikes eyes were different; it was his cry of "Okaasan!" That let her know that Luna was attacking.

She quickly blocked the attack locking swords with her. Twilight was slowly being over powered when she suddenly tilted her sword reflecting the bright sun light into Lunas face. When she closed her eyes twilight parried the attack and slashed Luna across her chest. Luna hit the ground holding the purposely near fatal wound.

Twilight looked back to see Cinnamon blossom standing at the door. "Cinnamon take her to the castle and tell Calestia hime-sama what has happened here." "But twilight -san where are you going?"

Twilight put away her sword and looked down at the baby smiling up at her. She looked at the blood covering both of them and knew that things would never be the same again. "It's no longer safe for us here, so we are going to walk the path of demons, the path to hell." She turned and walked off towards the raising sun forever reborn as: Lone pony and dragon.


	2. shinobishy

Night was just beginning to fall on the small village as the hard working farmers had put away their tools and began turning in. The only pony still out and about was a pink haired woman in a matching kimono. She quickly made her way down to the river, as much as it scared her to be out at this time of night she was more afraid of what Angle would do if she didn't bring him his water.

She slid down the bank and leaned foreword holding onto the bridge as she dipped her gourd into the water. With her gourd filled she climbed back up the embankment. Before she could climb back onto the road she heard foot steps and dropped down on her stomach. 'On no, I hope it's not one of those lust filled samurai.' She had heard of the things the retainers of the local lord did to the unsuspecting village women.

She peeked up just enough to see a lone woman pushing a baby cart. A sun hat covered most of her face and she wore a wakizashi on her waist. 'She must be the wife of a samurai.' Just when Fluttershy thought it might be safe to show herself she heard more foot steps, running this time. She saw five samurai run up behind the woman with swords drawn. They quickly surrounded her; she said nothing and it was unclear what the woman was thinking as her hat covered her eyes.

'what will those depraved ruffians do to her?' She wondered when one them stepped up and spoke. "Did you really think you could just kill our boss and walk off?" He yelled. The woman adjusted her sash and the hilt of a katana became visible.

She lifted her head a bit and spoke, "It was nothing personnel just a matter of money ." She reached into the baby cart and patted the head of a baby dragon. "I do have a mouth to feed after all." The baby in the cart cooed and giggled. "Well it's a shame he's about to be orphaned." The leader proclaimed as he rushed to attack.

The flash from her katana was so quick Fluttershy hardly saw it; All she saw was a river of blood spraying from a wound on his chest. The wounded samurai took two steps back before dropping to the ground. The woman threw her hat at one of her assailants; the moment he knocked it away her sword plunged into his chest. She pulled her sword from his body and jumped back putting space between herself and the other warriors.

Now Fluttershy could she the woman a little more clearly, her hair was indigo with pink and purple streaks. Right then Fluttershy knew who she was, 'That's the assassin Twilight sparkle.' She had seen her face on a handbill and knew her to be a ruthless killer. Another swordsman ran at her, she calmly grasped her wakizashi and in one movement drew and threw it at her opponent. The short sword hit his neck causing him to stagger holding his wound making a gurgling noise.

The last two spaced themselves out ready to attack from both sides. One prepared to rush her and she saw an opening; she threw her sword impaling him. "Got you now!" the final enemy yelled closing the gap between them but before he could get in striking distance the baby in the cart slapped the side of the cart three times causing three darts to shoot out of the carts handle.

The darts hit him with one finding its way to his neck. He dropped to his knees before falling lifelessly foreword. Twilight retrieved her weapons and as she cleaned her sword she heard the shuffling of feet in the nearby grass. "Okaasan!" The baby pointed over to Fluttershy trying to crawl away. Twilight looked over to the bridge and saw a woman climbing up from the bank.

She and Fluttershy made eye contact and there was a moment of silence, which was broken when Twilight took a step toward her. Fluttershy froze up as the woman in the lavender kimono slowly made her way up to her. 'Oh no, oh no; she massacred every retainer at the castle and just slaughtered those samurai, what will she do to me?'

Out of fear of being her next victim she threw her gourd. Twilight reacted out of instinct slicing it with her katana. Fluttershy took off as quick as she could; so blinded by fear she swore she could feel Twilights hand grabbing at the back of her neck. She ran as fast and as far as she could until she finally had to stop.

When she looked around trying to catch her breath to see that Twilight was nowhere to be found and most likely not following her. She breathed out a sigh of relief, "Oh good I lost her." She heaved out in-between breaths. She took a look around the thick forest that surrounded her. "That's not all I've lost it seems."

Her voice, though soft as a prayer, echoed through the woods and reverberated off the trees. Never had she ventured this far into the everfree forest. It was lush, dense, and unfamiliar to her. Fluttershy tried to keep her wits about her to hopefully find her way out. The more she wandered the more uneasy she became, she could no longer see the sky for the canopy of tree tops that the moon light couldn't peek through.

To add to that were the sounds of rustling trees and the feeling that she was being watched. Then it reached a point were she could no longer see her nose in front of her face and the only sound to be heard was her own breathing. As she felt around in the dark she felt something wrap around her ankle and pull her up into the air.

She screamed as what little she could still see was turned upside down. "Help somepony, anypony?" she yelled hoping that somepony would hear. She heard the shuffling of feet in the grass. "Hello who's there?" She called out. She felt something cold slide up against her neck. "Who are you outsider?" A voice said in almost a whisper. "My name is Fluttershy, please cut me down."

The cold steel pressed closer against her throat. "Who sent you spy, hm, the local lord or Calestia hime-sama herself?" Fluttershy was in full panic, this had to be one of the tengu she had always heard tales of. "Please, I wasn't sent by anypony; I'm just lost." She pleaded just about in tears. "Liar, I'm going to put an end to you!" Fluttershy closed her eyes expecting to lose her throat when another voice came in. "Stop Silk rain, the master has decided she may be useful to our upcoming mission, he wants her brought to him." The steel was removed from her neck and she was cut down colliding with the ground.

She looked up to see two ponies dress in all black, the only part of them still visible were their eyes. The two jumped on Fluttershy blindfolding and tying her up. They walk her farther into the forest, nudging her in the back from time to time to make her move faster, until the ground changed. She could feel the ground go from soft to hard and after a few minutes she was forced to her knees and the blindfold was removed.

She was sitting in what appeared to be a cave, or at least part of one, that was lit by a few small lamps. In front of her sat an older man dressed in all black with two other ponies, who she assumed were the ones from earlier. In between them was a short sword, she noticed one of his hands was positioned to where he could quickly reach the sword if Fluttershy made the wrong move.

"W.. Who are you, where am I?" The man ran his hand over his slowly graying hair that was pulled up into a top knot. "I am master Black lotus and these two," He gestured to the ponies at his sides. "are Silk rain and white rose; as for where are you, well, we'll get to that." Fluttershys heart almost stopped when he reached out and touched her kimono. "Ah don't worry a man my age is not concerned with causing harm to young women." He felt the material her kimono was made from.

"This is fine silk your kimono is made from and so skillfully dyed as well." He sat back taking up his sword and placing it in his lap. "Where ever did you get it from?" Fluttershy swallowed unsure if she should answer but when Black lotus grasped the hilt of his sword she answered quickly. "It was a gift from Lord Star shine, I tend to his animals." He released his sword and stroked his short beard.

"Fluttershy do you know what we are?" Fluttershy was afraid to answer but was also afraid of what would happen if she didn't. "Yes, you are ninja." Black lotus smiled as he shook his head. "Yes and you are going to stay and train with us; because you're going to help us with a mission."

"No I can't, I have to get back home and…" Black lotus drew his sword and placed it against her neck. "Only a ninja may leave here alive, so what are you gonna be a ninja or a corpse?" He pressed the sword harder agaisnt her flesh drawing blood from her neck. "Ok, ok I'll do what ever you say." She broke down crying. "Great a crier, aw well I'll see to it that you're born again hard." He stood sliding his sword back into its scabbard. "Put her out." He commanded.

White rose stepped foreword and withdrew a bamboo vile from inside her keikogi and poured a powder into her hand. She kneelt down beside Fluttershy and said, "You made the right choice." before blowing the powder in her face. Fluttershy became light headed then watched as everything went black.


End file.
